matter and expressed such
determined will, that, knowing her nature, it became clear to him that
this affection had been growing for many years and could not now be
rooted up. And it was now the greatest comfort he had in the midst of
his sorrow, that the same morning on which they were to start on their
ill-fated journey home, he had given in, and had also promised to use
his influence in getting my father to give his consent.

Instead of this he now stood without a daughter, and only as one
bringing tidings that the disaster had fallen on my father's house too,
and struck his only child. He wished, he hoped with my father's
permission, henceforth to regard me as his son.

My father sat a long time, surprised and pale; he seemed to have great
difficulty in taking in what was said.

At last he rose and in silence gave his hand to the minister. Then he
laid it on my shoulder so that I felt its pressure, looked into my eyes
and said, in a low, wonderfully gentle voice:

"The Lord be with you, my son! Sorrow has visited you young; only, do
not be weak in bearing it!"

He was going out to leave us alone together, but bethought himself in
the doorway, and said that I had better go with the minister and take a
last farewell of Susanna.

A little later the minister and I were walking side by side along the
road. Our relations had now become confidential, and to comfort me he
told me all that Susanna had said to induce him to consent. She knew,
thank God, he concluded with a sigh of relief, that she had in her
father a friend in whom she could confide in the hour of need.

The minister led me into the room with its drawn blinds; he stood for a
moment by the bier, then the tears fell like rain down his broad, strong
face, and he turned and went out.

She lay there in her maidenly white dress. They had twined a wreath of
green leaves with white flowers about her head, and for a moment I saw
again the vision I had at the ball. The delicate hands now lay meekly
folded upon her breast, and on the engagement finger I recognised with
tears my own old bronze ring with the purple glass stones in it, that
she had worn from the moment she had obtained her father's consent. The
expression of the mouth, so energetic in life, was transformed in death
into a quiet, happy smile, in which her beautiful delicate face, with
its broad pure marble brow shone with a heavenly radiance; she lay in
such innocent security, as if she now knew t